One Tree Hill's creator Mark Schwahn has said that the last 13 episodes "will be dark" compared to the most recent seasons of the CW drama.

The first few minutes of the first episode seem to prove him right. The characters are each thrown into what looks like hell and havoc. There's fighting and crying, a burning building and Haley standing in the morgue over a dead body.

Schwahn wouldn't tell The Hollywood Reporter much about the mystery death. "I will say that we won't end the season with the cast that we start with, and I think for fans of the show, that will be emotional and powerful," he said. "I think in One Tree Hill, rarely is all what it seems, so there's always that to factor in."

So don't expect the final season to simply be a retrospective covering the 187 episode and nine years of the show's existence. Schwahn is purposefully moving the plot forward in big ways, and even bringing back some familiar faces, including Tyler Hilton, who will reprise his role as Chris Keller. And yes, he still talks about himself in third person.

"In a season that could have just been a look back or a pat on the back or something quiet and soft, I just really felt like let's go out being forward thinking and challenging the audience a little bit, said Schwahn, who added that he felt the ninth season is definitely his favorite.

[credit: hollywoodreporter.com]

One Tree Hill continues it's final season next with with episode 902 - "The Room Where You Sleep"

Now that the season 9 premiere has aired, you are probably starting to wind down and wondering what to watch.

Revenge on ABC is the new hit show to be a part of. Be sure to check it out at 10pm (east coast).

Then... check out our sister sites:

The final season of One Tree Hill kicked off tonight on the CW Network.

Don't miss out on the discussion at the largest OTH community... OTHforums.com!

If you missed the event "An Evening with One Tree Hill" then you can check out some photos from the event at the official One Tree Hill Facebook page!

Paul and Tyler took a moment from the set of season 9, to speak exclusively with OTHfans.com!

It was more than just a patch of concrete.

For the past nine years, fans of the locally filmed drama series One Tree Hill have made pilgrimages to the makeshift basketball court in Battleship Park across the river from downtown Wilmington.

Now, the "river court," as it was known on the show, is being torn up.

Crews worked on the court Monday, cutting through the concrete.

The show finished filming its ninth and final season a couple weeks ago, so there was no more use for the court. Fans, however, hoped it would stick around as a memorial to the show they loved. A petition was started but time was not on fans' side.

We've learned that the crews were instructed to cut up small squares of the court that will be sent to Los Angeles. That is all the work being done today. The rest of the court will be taken down at a later date (but soon). I'm guessing that means pieces could be auctioned off, but that's just speculation at this point.

[credit: starnewsonline.com]